Tag: Oregon Brewers Festival

Started in 1988, the Oregon Brewers Festival is one of the longest-standing craft beer festivals in the country. Held at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on the Willamette River, and Mt. Hood in the backdrop, the beer festival is a beautiful and fun summertime tradition. Let’s take a look at 7 things you should know before you go to the Oregon Brewers Festival:

1. When/Where?

The Oregon Brewers Festival is at Tom McCall Waterfront Park and will be held from Wednesday, July 27th through Sunday, July 31st.

2. Cash-only

Oregon Brewers Festival and their vendors do not accept credit cards, checks, or mobile payments. There are ATMs on-site if needed, but make sure to pull out some cash before going to the festival to avoid ATM fees!

3. Drink for free!

Volunteer to help at the OBF and get a free tasting mug 16 free tokens! Each token is good for a taste and four tokens for a full fill. That’s a $23 value! Volunteers willing to work during peak hours on Saturday or Sunday night will receive 24 tokens.

4. Enjoy multiple breweries!

The Oregon Brewers Fest is welcoming more than 100 breweries this year! There are so many good breweries, so make sure to get out there and try something new.

5. Food carts!

Who doesn’t love food carts? The Oregon Brewers Festival will have seven food vendors to choose from, so make sure to get some food in your stomach while you’re sampling your brews. You may also choose to bring your own food to the event as well.

6. Transportation

With the volumes of people going to the OBF, parking can be a struggle! There is some parking on the street but will be difficult to secure a spot. There is also a Smart Park on SW Naito and SW Davis Street. However, there are some good alternative transportation methods. The MAX runs just a block away from the festival, with a stop at SW First and Oak Street. There are bike corrals available on-site where you can park for free. Also, Hops Urban Brewery (mentioned earlier) opened up their volunteer-manned bike corral for nearly 2,000 bikes last year.

7. Be responsible!

Lastly, and most importantly, make sure to travel responsibly. If you don’t think you can responsibly manage any of the transportation suggestions above, make sure to have a designated driver or use Uber. The OFB offers free craft root beer from Crater Lake Soda for designated drivers and minors. Make sure you have a responsible transportation plan!